The search continues...

[Demetrius]

Sounds a lot like the one I had and miss. Despite the set up issues it had a magic...

[Demetrius]

Sounds a lot like the one I had and miss. Despite the set up issues it had a magic...

Andrew Im at work but I wil answer that great question afterwards.

Stand by!
Dem

[William Smith]

Sounds a lot like the one I had and miss. Despite the set up issues it had a magic...

Yes these early Gils sure have a voice, must be the woods used or X bracing or varnish or just plain and simple yes MAGIC

[Demetrius]

Only difference mine was tone bar. Who told you that the top was sinking in your Gil?

[Jim Garber]

JKA, well said my man... Trust me the Wiens is extraordinary in every sense...It's everything most people would look for in a killer mandolin. I only had it on trial for 24 hrs, and I wanted to perform with it, record with it and so on... The flat board messes with me a bit, and that specific neck profile has proven to aggravate an old hand injury. Also I like loads of sustain with the stuff I play. Maybe in time it'll come? Idk, and no one does but it is red spruce so we all know changes will occur. In fact they already have! If it sells it sells, if not? Believe me I won't be upset.. If someone does buy this they will be a very lucky and happy Mando player. But again, I don't mind if this was to never go anywhere, I've been playing the heck out of it.

So, how about contacting Jamie and asking him for any remedies on this particular instrument. As I suggested before: have him make a radiused board or even maybe (if possible) rework the neck profile to your liking. If you love the tone, fix the things you don't like. Is there any reason why you would not consider that?

[Demetrius]

Hi Jim,

Its definitely a possibility, but Im going to live with it for a while the way it is and see if I can adjust...

[pops1]

I have both flat fingerboards and radiused boards, think I used to prefer the radius, but now I think I am back to the flat. It's easy to go between them if you do it at all often, like playing mandolin then guitar. Guitar players have a hard time going to mandolin at first, but once you are used to something going between something else you are used to is a breeze.

Wish I had a breeze, it's hot here.

[barry]

Only difference mine was tone bar. Who told you that the top was sinking in your Gil?

I think he said the "varnish is sinking into the top". He was only referring to the aging finish.

[Billy Packard]

Barry...I understood what he meant. Very thin lacquer will do that also.

[TEvans]

Demetrius -- I often think of a video of John Reischman talking about his Loar. (The Fretboard Journal video, I'm sure we've all seen it) In that video he talks about how different his Loar sounds from other Loars, and how different all the other Loars sound from all the other Loars. He attributes a good deal of this to each player "playing a tone into" an instrument. Because he has played that Loar so much, and tried to pull out the tone that he likes to hear so much, that's the tone that comes out of it.

I think there is definitely some truth behind this. Your unique style of playing - different from any other mandolin player - is going to cause the top and back of that instrument to vibrate and resonate differently (maybe slightly, maybe drastically different) from any other player.

SO, all this to say, I think that the more you play that Wiens, and the more you seek to pull out the tone that you want to hear, the more that mandolin is going to produce that tone. Maybe time is what you need!

I agree on the flat board, though. I certainly have not liked the feeling of flat boards when I've played them. Radiuses all the way!

[Demetrius]

TEvans, I could couldn't agree with you any more... Ive been playing this Wiens about 8 hrs a day since I got it and Im already starting to hear this happening. in fact in the last couple of days its taken on some dramatic changes. The thing Im starting to realize about this mandolin is the core sound is spectacular. Its not complex, which may or may not come in time. I just dont know, but what I do know is that what is there now is the following.
1. Pure wood tone, very little string sound aside for the slide noise that comes from the exp strings.
2. Solid note, with a rather quick decay. The tapering of sound is pleasant though, not muted and it evenly falls to silence without losing that warm wood tone.
3. Very responsive, and explosive... Recording may be a bit of a challenge. Every single note on this fretboard has that explosive pop but with that thup sound that Ive loved in every Loar Ive ever played.
4. Fit and finish is by far best Ive seen to date. I can't imagine a human doing any better hand work than this.
5. Dave Harvey did the set up on this Wiens and I think from this point on, every instrument I ever get set up on will be done by him definitely.

Thanks,
Dem

[TEvans]

Just keep playing the tone you want into it! It's got all the foundations it needs - great build, great woods. It's only gonna get better with time!

Happy pickin', brother!

[Andrew B. Carlson]

I have yet to play a Wiens, but his shop is a days drive from me, and I hope to visit one day. I just love the painful attention to detail to replicate some of Loar's designs. The dovetailed points, the fretboard swell etc. (I know Dude does that too) Being that the F5 mandolin is art in itself, much of my appreciation of it is as a piece of art. And it's playable too!

[William Smith]

I think he said the "varnish is sinking into the top". He was only referring to the aging finish.

Yes the varnish sinking in the top is what I believe I said. The top on mine did have a bit of a dent in it under each side of the bridge feet so to speak so I refit bridge for a full contact, That corrected the top after a while. I've always done this to my mandolins, I think and I'm pretty sure that doing this will save a top! Really don't know for sure if this makes or takes away anything soundwise to a mandolin, for sure it didn't hurt my Gil but made it better, I'm sure if Dem did this to the Gil he had, it would correct any issues with the denting. The X-bracing on these is so different than tone bar. Fuller more lowish end, pretty fat sounding compared to your traditional Gibson trebly higher mid range, The x gives it a type of Ronnie McCoury sound, I'd bet his Gil is X braced? Listen to his Gil stuff then his Loar stuff.

[Billy Packard]

Re bluegrasser78,

I have a lovely Weber Fern that Bruce re-graduated the top and back plates on and in the process refinished it with super thin lacquer that has since followed the grain perfectly.

The Gichrist A3 with the varnish finish is identical. They both have that three demential quality but no plate-sink.

Also, the Fern has tone bars with a more focused, even sound while the Gil with X bracing is just like you point out above. They both have radius fretboards with stainless frets.

Also of note, the Fern is over-sized and has a more expansive projection. As well as a cedar top with very tiny grain.

Billy

[Demetrius]

I decided to stay with the Wiens... It's proving to be something Id be silly to part with...

[George R. Lane]

Good choice. I hope the two of you will live happily ever after, and your wife also.

[Demetrius]

[Demetrius]

[Demetrius]

[UlsterMando]

In the video clips you guys really make the Wiens sound good; I'm not surprised
that you are thinking of holding on to it. Good for you! I hope you find the inspiration
in it which you are searching for.
It's a bonny thing.

I'm also enjoying the videos of your band. Good stuff.

[kudzugypsy]

wow - that Weins has had 4 owners in the last year & half...crazy - i talked to a guy about it when it was in VA (he was 2nd owner i think) - then was in AL for a few months and the new ad had it in MA - he couldnt have owned it long as i was talking to the owner in AL a few months ago.
sweet looking mando for sure - glad to know you like it.

[Demetrius]

Wow interesting.... They must have just looked at it and not played it then, cause I don't believe this had a single sign of play on it... One small mark on the scroll but that was from when it was with Wiens. Anyhow yeh, killer mando. Easily up to par with my Dude and Gibson dmm I had.

[Demetrius]

My only reserve is hand pain... Not sure what it is about the neck profile, it's seems normal but for some reason it agrevates this hand injury. I refuse to have the neck reshaped, I've been there done that and it never turns out right.
The Gil I had was the perfect neck profile for my hands.

[mtucker]

This vid makes me want one of these laminated A's.